


Rarefied

by orphan_account



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cute, Lots of plot, M/M, Magic, No Smut, but in like a more traditional sense, but still completely no porn, fairy/nymph, jack doesn't show up for a few chapters sorry folks, jack is a nymph/fairy, lil bit of all the ships, the only legit ship in this is probably tyler and ethan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 09:12:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10850904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Rarefied: distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people.Mark desperately needs a vacation, and his friends decide a fun month-long trip to Ireland is perfect for him.What Mark wasn't expecting was an adventure





	Rarefied

**Author's Note:**

> its kind of short but the chapters will get longer I promise!!

Mark had been in desperate need of a vacation. After months of his shitty work bearing down on him- expecting far too much and not even giving not even a ‘thank you’ in return- and a mysterious-bump-oh-god-is-it-cancer scare that he found on his side a few weeks ago, a break was needed, and incredibly well-deserved. 

He sat in his living room, staring up at the interesting nothing on the ceiling while Ethan went on and on about the last trip to the gym and how he almost wiped out while try to impress someone cute. The Korean looked up after a moment and adjusted his glasses, biting his lip before he sat up on the couch. “How many days?” His voice was smooth, but desperate. He had been counting down the seconds since they booked the tickets. He still liked hearing it despite himself. 

Ethan glanced to his wrist and pretended to read the invisible watch there. “Fifteen days. Seventeen hours. Forty-five minutes. And twelve seconds.” He announced to the room of two..

“Bullshit.”

“Okay. everything but the days was bullshit.” 

Ethan fell back on the couch and glanced up to his older friend, who looked down at him with a questioning stare. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, though there was an underlying question hanging in the air. A question Mark didn’t know. After staring, glancing away, and repeating the action about ten times he stood up with an annoyed huff. “What?” He asked in monotone, rolling his eyes when the question was echoed by the blue-haired boy on the couch. “You know what.” Just a confused stare. “Ethan, why are you staring at me like that?” 

It wouldn’t have bothered him as much before. 

It was complicated. That was being simple about it. 

Ethan glanced away with a shrug, his eyes darting to the rows of pictures of Mark’s family that lined the walls. His eyes then dragged to the pattern of the yellow and green stripes on the couch underneath, the couch being a gift from Mark’s mother. He patted his thighs nervously. As if that was going to calm his down or ease any of his sudden anxieties. He wondered if Mark had noticed the sporadic behavior. Maybe, he just shouldn’t say anything. His attention was snapped back to reality at the call of his name. He gave a shaky laugh and stuttered over himself for a minute or two. “Oh, it’s just that I- I kinda-” He frowned, sat up properly and then pulled his knees to his chest. “I was just wondering about stuff. The whole trip and-”

Mark shook his head with a small sigh. He sat down on the couch next to the other with a friendly chuckle. “Dude, okay I know because of our… stuff. Things get weird between us.” He shrugged, trying to explain himself. He didn’t want to embarrass Ethan, even if they the only two in the room. He knew how the other’s anxiety got, and he just didn’t want to add to the fire. “But we agreed that it was behind us. We’re better off friends,” Or so Ethan said. “It's just a friend thing. Its Tyler, you, and me going on a cool trip to Ireland.” He explained, trying to sound loving and supportive of his friend. 

Oh, it hurt to talk to the other like that again. 

Mark was in a constant, awkward struggle. He wasn’t sure what Ethan and him and him were anymore. And he sure as hell didn’t know what Ethan and Tyler were. His two friends were close, but he was sure they were closer when he wasn’t looking. Or they were in desperate need of getting closer. He rolled his eyes and watched his friend shrug, laugh, then nod in a painful moment. He wanted to say more, specifically, he wanted to apologize for the way he shut his friend down. He just ran his hand through his hair and shook his head with a deep, rather pained sigh. “Wanna play some video games?” He asked very casually, trying to change the topic and the sudden tense weight in the room. He gave a silent breath of relief as he saw Ethan perk up at the suggestion with a wide smile. 

They played video games for hours, until Ethan had to go home, saying how he should really work on his final paper, as he was still in college, the poor kid also had to finish editing a short film project. Mark said his goodbyes, and there was still that awkward lingering at the door while neither of them knew what to say, or how to give their farewells. 

A kiss wasn’t appropriate anymore, and a handshake or a pat on the back seemed too impersonal. Mark settled with an easy smile and a brief, stiff hug before sending the younger man on his way. 

Mark locked his door behind the other, let out a sigh and decided he needed to shower for a little while to at least attempt and unwind.

-

Mark couldn’t sleep that night. Stress dream after stress dream kept him awake, alert, and exhausted. He stared up at the empty ceiling in his dark room, watching shadows of blobs form, then journey from one side of his vision to the other in a hulking waltz. He realized staying up night after night wasn’t healthy, he should just close his eyes and rest. So, he tried. He closed his eyes, turned to lay on his stomach and squeezed his eyes shut. If he could just go to sleep everything would be much simpler. Much simpler for him tomorrow at work. He frowned and checked his phone, the time reading 4:02 am. He had four hours until he needed to be at work. His flight in fourteen days left in twenty-eight minutes. Mark groaned, then stuffed his face into his pillows again. He needed to just clear his head and sleep again. It shouldn’t be so difficult to close his eyes and sleep! People did it everyday after all. 

He turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling again. 

Why was four in the morning such a happening time?


End file.
